Cyclones Take on Olympic Champ, Elite 800 Field at Drake

Jason Gómez, Darius Kipyego and Finley Mclear are set to race in the world-class invitational 800-meter at the 2024 Drake Relays. The field includes not only the best in the nation, but the best in the world.

Cyclones Among the Elite Field

Gómez recently capped his Cyclone career at 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships totaling his sixth All-America honor and now moves to running as a professional. The 800m specialist also took hold of his second conference title in the event at 2024 Indoor Big 12 Championships. Gómez ranks at No. 2 in the indoor 800m and 1,000m and No. 6 in the outdoor 800m with a personal-best 1:46.34.

Kipyego continues his remarkable season after opening his outdoor campaign with a 1:45.76 in the 800m. His time hits the automatic Olympic Trials qualifying standard. In indoor season, Kipyego left his first NCAA Championships with First Team All-America honors taking sixth. The junior also broke the 1,000m school record with the fourth-fastest all-conditions time in collegiate history. Also in the Iowa State record books, Kipyego ranks at No. 3 in the indoor 800m and No. 4 in the outdoor 800m.

Mclear will open his outdoor season at Drake following notching his third First Team All-America honor at 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships finishing third. Mclear will race in his first outdoor race in two years after recovering from injury. Prior to ISU, Mclear competed for Miami (Ohio) and finished runner-up at the 2021 indoor championships .01 second behind first. Mclear then took fourth at outdoor championships with a personal record of 1:45.80.

The Competition

The reigning 800m Olympic champion, Emmanuel Korir, highlights the field. Korrir holds a personal best of 1:42.05, the sixth-fastest time in history. In addition to his Olympic gold in Tokyo, Korir also took the win at World Championships in 2022.

Other competitors include Wes Ferguson, a four-time NCAA DII champ who holds the third-fastest time in DII history of 1:45.46, and Mikuto Kaneko, the 2022 Japan National Champ. Shane Striech, the 1,000m American indoor record holder, will also run. Drake's Isaac Basten and former Bulldog and current pro Adam Fogg round out the field. Basten finished runner-up in the mile at 2023 NCAA Championships and is a two-time All-American while Fogg holds a mile personal record of 3:49.62, the ninth-fastest all-time indoor time, and is a 1,500m World Championship finalist.

The race is slated for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th on the final day of the 2024 Drake Relays.